Connections are my shorter episodes that include my inner thoughts, behind the scenes realities, tangents and experiences to help us feel more connected!

Today I'm talking about how I'm feeling as the holiday season start and the reality of not having a picture perfect house during the holiday season.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

⚫︎ Jessica’s website, resources, services & more:
http://www.jessicavalantpilates.com

⚫︎ Jessica’s UNLIMITED community and app with daily workouts for muscle strength:
http://www.jessicavalantpilates.com/unlimited

⚫︎Watch our podcast episodes on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/@meetyourbodypodcast

 ⚫︎ YouTube workouts:
 https://www.youtube.com/c/JessicaValantPilates

 
⚫︎ Follow Jessica on Instagram:
 http://www.instagram.com/jessicavalantpilates

Jessica Valant and Jessica Valant Pilates, LLC, recommend you consult with a physician before starting any new exercise program. The information given here is not meant to treat or diagnose any medical condition. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join Jessica as she delves into the complex world of alcohol consumption and how it effects our health.

In this episode, she explores the science, health implications and personal choices that shape our relationship with alcohol. Jessica covers the nuance around the decision to include alcohol in your life and what factors you may want to consider when making that choice. She also shares her personal journey with alcohol and where she currently lands when it comes to alcohol in her own life.

This episode provides thoughtful insights and practical advice to help you navigate alcohol and your own health. Tune in to discover how you can make informed decisions that align with your lifestyle and health goals.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

⚫︎ Jessica’s website, resources, services & more:
http://www.jessicavalantpilates.com

⚫︎ Jessica’s UNLIMITED community and app with daily workouts for muscle strength:
http://www.jessicavalantpilates.com/unlimited

⚫︎Watch our podcast episodes on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/@meetyourbodypodcast

 ⚫︎ YouTube workouts:
 https://www.youtube.com/c/JessicaValantPilates

 
⚫︎ Follow Jessica on Instagram:
 http://www.instagram.com/jessicavalantpilates

Jessica Valant and Jessica Valant Pilates, LLC, recommend you consult with a physician before starting any new exercise program. The information given here is not meant to treat or diagnose any medical condition. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this conversation, Jessica Valant and Dr. Nidhi Sharma, physical therapist, delve into the intricacies of pelvic floor health, exercise and postpartum care for women. You'll learn:

⚫︎ The personal experience that led Nidhi to specialize in women's health

⚫︎ The importance of strength in the postpartum period

⚫︎ How to create a sustainable exercise plan with pelvic floor dysfunction

⚫︎ Common myths around exercise and pelvic floor health, including why you can and should do squats even with pelvic floor issues

Join us for this extremely empowering and informational discussion around pelvic floor health and exercise.

Dr. Nidhi Sharma is a pelvic health physical therapist with over 15 years of experience in helping people recover from injuries and regain function. She is double board certified in orthopedics and pelvic health through the American Physical Therapy Association. Her passion is to help women overcome pelvic health challenges in pregnancy, post-partum and beyond. Her goal for her patients is for them to understand their body and take ownership of their health. When not treating patients, she'll often be found speaking at local support groups and community events, or teaching in childbirth education classes to raise awareness about pelvic health. She is also involved in teaching physical therapists and fitness professionals in the specialty of pelvic health.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

⚫︎ Dr. Nidhi Sharma on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pelvicharmony.pt/

⚫︎ Free prolapse resource guide: https://jessicavalant.com/prolapse-safe-exercise-program

⚫︎ Four Week Prolapse Workout Plan: https://payhip.com/b/04F6H

⚫︎ Prolapse podcast series: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/meet-your-body/id1649561552?i=1000627755982

⚫︎ Jessica’s website, resources, services & more:
http://www.jessicavalantpilates.com

⚫︎ Jessica’s UNLIMITED community and app with daily workouts for muscle strength:
http://www.jessicavalantpilates.com/unlimited

⚫︎Watch our podcast episodes on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/@meetyourbodypodcast

 ⚫︎ YouTube workouts:
 https://www.youtube.com/c/JessicaValantPilates

 
⚫︎ Follow Jessica on Instagram:
 http://www.instagram.com/jessicavalantpilates

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Pelvic Floor Health
02:37 Nidhi's Journey into Pelvic Health
05:31 Understanding Pelvic Floor and Pain Connections
08:29 Pelvic Floor Dysfunction: Weakness vs. Tightness
10:53 Symptoms of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
13:56 Movement and Pelvic Floor Health
18:14 Philosophy of Safe Movement with Dysfunction
21:23 Empowering Movement: Overcoming Fears in Health
22:38 Gradual Exposure: The Key to Strength and Resilience
23:26 Squats and Pelvic Floor Dysfunction: Finding the Right Approach
27:03 Running: Earning Your Stride
33:06 The Importance of Weight Lifting for Everyone
36:53 Movement as Medicine: The Fallacy of Waiting for Pain to Disappear

Jessica Valant and Jessica Valant Pilates, LLC, recommend you consult with a physician before starting any new exercise program. The information given here is not meant to treat or diagnose any medical condition.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Jessica shares her personal journey with pelvic floor health, focusing on her experience with prolapse, the impact of pregnancy and childbirth, and the importance of seeking professional help. She discusses her surgery, recovery, and the ongoing management of her pelvic floor health six years after surgical repair. Jessica emphasizes the need for empowerment through movement and exercise, encouraging listeners not to let fear dictate their physical activity.

This episode is for anyone dealing with pelvic floor dysfunction. It will offer a glimpse into the story of someone who has been there and will also give actionable steps to take in order to feel comfortable in your body.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

⚫︎ Free prolapse resource guide: https://jessicavalant.com/prolapse-safe-exercise-program

⚫︎ Four Week Prolapse Workout Plan: https://payhip.com/b/04F6H

⚫︎ Prolapse podcast series: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/meet-your-body/id1649561552?i=1000627755982

⚫︎ Jessica’s website, resources, services & more:
http://www.jessicavalantpilates.com

⚫︎ Jessica’s UNLIMITED community and app with daily workouts for muscle strength:
http://www.jessicavalantpilates.com/unlimited

⚫︎Watch our podcast episodes on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/@meetyourbodypodcast

 ⚫︎ YouTube workouts:
 https://www.youtube.com/c/JessicaValantPilates

 
⚫︎ Follow Jessica on Instagram:
 http://www.instagram.com/jessicavalantpilates

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Pelvic Floor Health
01:27 Jessica's Personal Journey with Prolapse
05:20 Understanding Prolapse and Its Impact
10:25 Seeking Professional Help: Urogynecologist Insights
11:51 Surgical Options and Recovery
15:50 Life After Surgery: Managing Pelvic Floor Health
20:01 Empowerment Through Movement and Exercise

Jessica Valant and Jessica Valant Pilates, LLC, recommend you consult with a physician before starting any new exercise program. The information given here is not meant to treat or diagnose any medical condition.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Meet Your Body, Jessica discusses the importance of nourishing your nervous system for overall health. She shares her personal journey with chronic stress and burnout and how taking intentional steps towards regulating and healing her nervous system was an essential piece for her overall health. This conversation delves into the science of the stress response, why we feel increased anxiety as our hormones change, the impact of lifestyle choices, and actionable strategies to create a balanced and nourishing environment for the nervous system.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

⚫︎ Sign up for the free seven day nourish program starting November 3rd: https://jessicavalant.com/seven-day-nourish-program

⚫︎ Jessica's chronic stress story podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/meet-your-body/id1649561552?i=1000622418858

⚫︎ Vagus nerve massage: https://youtu.be/oJh79kcR5Tg

⚫︎ Jessica’s website, resources, services & more:
http://www.jessicavalantpilates.com

⚫︎ Jessica’s UNLIMITED community and app with daily workouts for muscle strength:
http://www.jessicavalantpilates.com/unlimited

⚫︎Watch our podcast episodes on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/@meetyourbodypodcast

 ⚫︎ YouTube workouts:
 https://www.youtube.com/c/JessicaValantPilates

 
⚫︎ Follow Jessica on Instagram:
 http://www.instagram.com/jessicavalantpilates

Chapters

00:00 Nourishing the Nervous System: An Introduction

01:18 Personal Journey: From Chronic Stress to Awareness

07:21 Understanding the HPA Axis and Stress Response

18:20 The Impact of Chronic Stress and Hormonal Changes

22:14 Practical Strategies for Nourishing Your Nervous System

Jessica Valant and Jessica Valant Pilates, LLC, recommend you consult with a physician before starting any new exercise program. The information given here is not meant to treat or diagnose any medical condition.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are living in a heavy time. Isolation and loneliness are commonplace. We feel like the weight of the world is on our shoulders. We long for community yet don't always see a way to find it amidst the hardship and vitriol coming at us from all sides.

Today's guest is here to offer us insights, steps and hope when it comes to letting ourselves feel the discomfort of our feelings while also embracing the need for community in our lives. Shannan Martin and Jessica discuss:

⚫︎ The importance of feeling awkward when it comes to making connections

⚫︎ How to connect to your real life neighbors (even the ones you don't agree with)

⚫︎ Why counterweights are vital in order to survive the world right now

⚫︎ Holding multiple feelings at once  

This is a powerful conversation for anyone who desires to feel more grounded and connected wherever they are in the world right now.

Shannan Martin, best-selling author of Start with Hello, The Ministry of Ordinary Places, and the popular Substack, The Soup, is a voracious reader, a wannabe-gardener, a news-geek, a justice-fighter, and a thrift store-stalker. She and her family live as grateful neighbors in Goshen, Indiana, where Shannan is on staff at the local community kitchen. Her forthcoming book, Counterweights: An Essential Practice for Holding Hope in a Heavy World, releases in Spring of 2026.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

⚫︎ Shannan Martin substack: https://shannanmartin.substack.com/

⚫︎ Order Counterweights here

⚫︎ Shannan on Instagram: www.instagram.com/shannanwrites

⚫︎ Jessica’s website, resources, services & more:
http://www.jessicavalantpilates.com

⚫︎ Jessica’s UNLIMITED community and app with daily workouts for muscle strength:
http://www.jessicavalantpilates.com/unlimited

⚫︎Watch our podcast episodes on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/@meetyourbodypodcast

 ⚫︎ YouTube workouts:
 https://www.youtube.com/c/JessicaValantPilates

 
⚫︎ Follow Jessica on Instagram:
 http://www.instagram.com/jessicavalantpilates


Jessica Valant Pilates app:
Apple IOS - https://tinyurl.com/mry5ya8r
Google - https://tinyurl.com/yh3ty5fp

Jessica Valant and Jessica Valant Pilates, LLC, recommend you consult with a physician before starting any new exercise program. The information given here is not meant to treat or diagnose any medical condition.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Isolation and loneliness is truly a health epidemic in our society, yet it can feel extremely difficult and intimidating to make friends as an adult. In today's podcast episode, Jessica unpacks the mental shifts that need to occur in order to feel connected to others, as well as practical tips to help keep current friends and make new friends in our adult years.

Community and friendship are both vital pieces to our longterm health and emotional vibrancy, and this episode will help both introverts and extroverts discover ways to connect with others through midlife and beyond!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

⚫︎ Jessica’s website, resources, services & more:
http://www.jessicavalantpilates.com

⚫︎ Jessica’s UNLIMITED community and app with daily workouts for muscle strength:
http://www.jessicavalantpilates.com/unlimited

⚫︎Watch our podcast episodes on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/@meetyourbodypodcast

 ⚫︎ YouTube workouts:
 https://www.youtube.com/c/JessicaValantPilates

 
⚫︎ Follow Jessica on Instagram:
 http://www.instagram.com/jessicavalantpilates

Jessica Valant and Jessica Valant Pilates, LLC, recommend you consult with a physician before starting any new exercise program. The information given here is not meant to treat or diagnose any medical condition.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Supplements can be an important part of a complete healthcare routine, but it can be hard to decide the best vitamins and supplements for yourself when the information available feels overwhelming.

In today's episode of Meet Your Body, Jessica explains the supplement regimen she's currently using in her own life. She discusses why she has personally decided to take things such as creatine, Vitamin D and more, as well as the science behind each one. 

As opposed to getting another checklist of supplements to add to your cabinet, this episode offers a behind the scenes look at why and how Jessica - as a health care professional and also a perimenopausal woman hoping to age well - has chosen the supplements she takes daily.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

⚫︎ Creatine: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0013OSNWE/?tag=jessicavala03-20

⚫︎ BCAA's: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FHUIPQ8/?tag=jessicavala03-20

⚫︎ Night Caps for Sleep (use code JESSICAV for 15% off): https://curednutrition.com/discount/Jessicav?redirect=%2Fcollections%2Fall 

⚫︎ Better Sleep Tips podcast episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/meet-your-body/id1649561552?i=1000700931343

⚫︎ My Experience with Chronic Stress podcast episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/meet-your-body/id1649561552?i=1000622418858

⚫︎ Jessica’s website, resources, services & more:
http://www.jessicavalantpilates.com

⚫︎ Jessica’s UNLIMITED community and app with daily workouts for muscle strength:
http://www.jessicavalantpilates.com/unlimited

⚫︎Watch our podcast episodes on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/@meetyourbodypodcast

 ⚫︎ YouTube workouts:
 https://www.youtube.com/c/JessicaValantPilates

 
⚫︎ Follow Jessica on Instagram:
 http://www.instagram.com/jessicavalantpilates


Jessica Valant Pilates app:
Apple IOS - https://tinyurl.com/mry5ya8r
Google - https://tinyurl.com/yh3ty5fp

Jessica Valant and Jessica Valant Pilates, LLC, recommend you consult with a physician before starting any new exercise program. The information given here is not meant to treat or diagnose any medical condition.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a breast cancer survivor, Jessica knows firsthand how important the support of  community is during the time of diagnosis and treatment. She often gets asked what someone can do to support a loved one who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. In this episode of Meet Your Body, Jessica gives you specific and practical ideas for how to help and show love to someone in your life diagnosed with breast cancer or undergoing a mastectomy.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

⚫︎ Free Breast Cancer Resource Guide:                               https://jessicavalant.com/breast-cancer-guide

⚫︎ Hope Chest Sweatshirt: https://www.hopechestcharity.org

⚫︎ Podcast episode about how to be an advocate for others: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/meet-your-body/id1649561552?i=1000611605444

⚫︎ Jessica’s website, resources, services & more:
http://www.jessicavalantpilates.com

⚫︎ Jessica’s UNLIMITED community and app with daily workouts for muscle strength:
http://www.jessicavalantpilates.com/unlimited

⚫︎Watch our podcast episodes on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/@meetyourbodypodcast

 ⚫︎ YouTube workouts:
 https://www.youtube.com/c/JessicaValantPilates

 
⚫︎ Follow Jessica on Instagram:
 http://www.instagram.com/jessicavalantpilates


Jessica Valant Pilates app:
Apple IOS - https://tinyurl.com/mry5ya8r
Google - https://tinyurl.com/yh3ty5fp

Jessica Valant and Jessica Valant Pilates, LLC, recommend you consult with a physician before starting any new exercise program. The information given here is not meant to treat or diagnose any medical condition.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are living in a time of vast amounts of health information, expert opinions and influencer experience. While it's great to have access to so much technology and health information, it can also feel extremely overwhelming. We can easily become confused about what new things to try, how to include them in our own lives and who to trust. 

In today's episode, Jessica talks about how to deal with the overwhelm you may feel when it comes to making health and wellness choices for yourself. She'll discuss:

⚫︎ The two mindset shifts you have to make in order to avoid overwhelm

⚫︎ The simple tool to help you move past stress and into action

⚫︎ How to prioritize choices in a way that works for you and your body

This conversation will help you take the power back when it comes to making the best health choices for you and your body!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

⚫︎ Jessica’s website, resources, services & more:
http://www.jessicavalantpilates.com

⚫︎ Jessica’s UNLIMITED community and app with daily workouts for muscle strength:
http://www.jessicavalantpilates.com/unlimited

⚫︎Watch our podcast episodes on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/@meetyourbodypodcast

 ⚫︎ YouTube workouts:
 https://www.youtube.com/c/JessicaValantPilates

 
⚫︎ Follow Jessica on Instagram:
 http://www.instagram.com/jessicavalantpilates


Jessica Valant Pilates app:
Apple IOS - https://tinyurl.com/mry5ya8r
Google - https://tinyurl.com/yh3ty5fp

Jessica Valant and Jessica Valant Pilates, LLC, recommend you consult with a physician before starting any new exercise program. The information given here is not meant to treat or diagnose any medical condition.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices